


Basically a Holiday

by StillNotGinger10



Category: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Identity Reveal, M/M, marvelbingo2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 06:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18360191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StillNotGinger10/pseuds/StillNotGinger10
Summary: Johnny's birthday is basically a holiday. At least, he wants Peter to think so. And the only gift he wants this year? Is to spend a day with his best friend, Spider-Man, out of costume.





	Basically a Holiday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [suitsflash (bikeross)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bikeross/gifts).



> My first Spideytorch fic! I hope you all like it! It's for the prompt Holiday for Marvel Bingo.
> 
> I dedicate this to suitsflash because she helped me think of the idea while we were visiting the Statue of Liberty :D
> 
> All the thanks to Halzbarry for beta reading for me and helping me fix the ending!

“It’s like how stores start celebrating Christmas on November first.”

“First of all, it’s nothing like that. Second of all, that’s the most annoying thing ever. What happened to Thanksgiving? Why does it get shafted for Christmas?”

“No, no, no,” Johnny interrupted Peter. He sat up from where he’d been lounging against the crown of the Statue of Liberty to face his best friend. “You are not starting that rant again.”

“All I’m saying,” Peter said. He had to squint to see Johnny, who was framed by the setting sun behind him, but Johnny couldn't see that as Peter’s face was covered by the mask of his costume.

“I don’t care what you’re saying,” Johnny interrupted again. “It’s my birthweek. We celebrate all week.”

“It’s called birth _day_ , Johnny. You get one day.”

Johnny heaved a tremendous sigh, the drama queen. “Fine,” he said, finally giving in. Peter was surprised it took that long. They’d been sitting on the statue for a while by then, and Johnny had spent most of that time trying to convince Peter that the world should be celebrating his birthday for an entire week. And when he said ‘the world,’ he meant the entire world. Peter had seen enough tabloids with Johnny’s face on their covers this week to know that he wasn’t exaggerating.

“But if you’re only celebrating on my actual birthday,” Johnny continued, “then you can’t deny my birthday wish.”

Peter raised his eyebrow. That didn’t sound good. Knowing Johnny, he’d want something elaborate, expensive, embarrassing for Peter, or some combination of the three.

“I want to spend my birthday with my best friend.”

That was it? That was all he wanted? Of course, Peter could spend the day with him. Maybe they could patrol, or fly/swing around the city—

“I want to spend the day with you, the actual you, not Spider-Man.” Say what? “We’re going to spend the day as civilians, just regular average Joe New Yorkers.”

“As if you could ever be average,” Peter said without thinking. In his head, he was panicking. He hadn’t shown anyone his real face.

Johnny was watching him, as if he knew Peter tended to deflect when he didn't want to talk about something. Of course, he did. He knew Peter better than almost anyone.

“Just think about it, okay?” Johnny asked. “Meet me here at ten. Preferably out of costume.”

* * *

Peter did think about it. He thought about it as he was riding the ferry back to the city. And that was something Johnny should think about: there was no way to websling to the statue. Johnny could fly there and back no problem, but Peter was stuck taking the ferry. At least as Spider-Man he could just land on top and hitch a ride without anyone bothering him. No ticket and no long line to board. And, he’ll admit, it was a little funny to watch people react to a superhero taking public transportation. But the point was, it was not an easily accessible meeting spot. Though, maybe that was the point. No one ever bothered them there.

So, Peter thought about Johnny’s request while sitting on a crowded ferry in his skin tight costume—occasionally nodding to the people that stared at him—and while swinging home that night. He thought about it between typing essays to send to his professors and while buying groceries. And at the end of the week, he thought about it, and doubted and rethought his decision, while standing on a ferry as Peter Parker.

Peter Parker, in his baggy clothes and constantly slipping glasses, did not get the same courtesy as Spider-Man. He got nudged and jostled around and the worker in the shop didn't offer him free hot chocolate. But at least he didn’t get stared at, or noticed at all really.

When Peter got to the statue, he saw Johnny out front; he was on the grass this time, not the crown, and he looked just as nervous as Peter felt, which was oddly reassuring.

Peter walked up to him, and Johnny’s eyes skid right by him. Peter wasn’t sure what he expected Spider-Man to look like, but clearly it wasn’t the lanky nerd approaching him.

“Hey, Flamebrain,” Peter said once he was close enough. “So, what’s the plan? We taking the tour?”

“Spidey?” Johnny asked as his wide eyes focused on Peter.

Peter held his hands out as though to show himself off to Johnny. “I sometimes go by Peter,” he said, trying to hide that he was waiting anxiously for Johnny’s reaction.

No matter how many times Peter imagined showing Johnny his face, he never once thought Johnny would just smile and pull him into a hug.

“Good to see you,” Johnny said as he pulled away. “Good to really _see_ you.” He kept one arm around Peter’s shoulders and lead him inside the statue.

People were staring at Johnny, and getting attention as Peter Parker was definitely not something Peter was used to, but it was easy enough to ignore when he had Johnny smiling at him so brightly. With Johnny acting like seeing Peter’s face was the best gift he could have gotten, Peter couldn't find it in himself to regret giving his identity to his friend.

“Here you go, birthday boy,” Peter said as he handed Johnny one of the big, bulky radios that they used for the audio tours. Together they walked into a room that was full of posters and pictures and small statues of the Statue of Liberty. They made sure to type the tour numbers into their radios in sync and listened to the recorded voice together.

It was odd to think that after so many trips to the statue neither of them had once gone inside or ventured any lower than the crown or torch. But when they met, it was to see a friend, not be a tourist.

This wasn't Spider-Man and the Human Torch, they were just Peter Parker and Johnny Storm, two friends sightseeing together.

And as they talked and laughed over the droning of the recorded voice, it was easy to forget that Johnny Storm was just as famous as the Human Torch. It was easy to forget that this was the first time Johnny had seen his face. It felt just as natural and fun as any time they’d gotten together without a big bad to fight.

Johnny snorted—honest to god snorted his laugh even though Peter knew he’d deny it later—before he turned to Peter, face lit by a wide smile, and repeated the audio tour guide’s words, “Hammered from behind.”

Peter rolled his eyes as he fought down his own smile and shouldered past Johnny.

“Come on, Pete. She was ‘hammered from behind,” Johnny called after him, still laughing.

“Your old age has made you so mature,” Peter said, but he lost the moral high road as he listened to the next recording. “One man holds the nut,” he said as he burst into laughter too.

“Dork,” Johnny said as he shoved Peter and joined him at the display.

They kept on like that, joking and barely listening to the tour, until they were outside on the pedestal. Unlike the tourists around them, they weren't even close to out of breath as they emerged into the cool fresh air. They also mostly ignored the view so they could keep talking. It wasn’t like they’d never seen the view before; they were just used to it from much higher up.

“Too bad the access to the torch is closed today,” they heard someone say.

“Yeah, I wonder what it looks like up there,” Johnny said.

Peter laughed. How many times had they sat on top of that torch late at night and looked out over their city?

“I don’t know,” Peter said as they rounded the corner and came to stand in front of the statue. “I wouldn't mind getting a picture of The Torch in the torch.”

Johnny shook his head. “Bad joke, man,” he said as he led them back inside. But Peter still smiled as they made their way out of the statue.

It was a good day, and he hoped Johnny thought so too. It was his birthday after all.

Or at least, it was a good day until both of their phones started ringing. Trouble. They were needed back in the city as fast as they could get there.

“Seriously? On my birthday?” Johnny groaned. Peter was about to quip back when Johnny suddenly grabbed his arm. “Wait. Before you suit up again. There’s something I’ve been dying to do.”

Before Peter could do more than furrow his eyebrow, Johnny was kissing him. It was short, sweet, unbelievably warm, and much much too short.

“Can’t do that when your mouth’s covered,” Johnny said, and although his voice was light, he wouldn't meet Peter’s eyes.

And before Peter could say anything back, Johnny was lighting up and taking off.

Peter watched the streak of fire fly across the sky and back to the city, completely unaware and uncaring that every eye was now on him and not the statue behind him.

Johnny Storm had just kissed him in front of an island full of strangers and Lady Liberty herself.

Peter smiled as he ran to the ferry. He was going to catch that flaming idiot and explain to him exactly why he couldn't just _do_ that to people.

And then, he was going to kiss him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought in a comment!
> 
>  
> 
> [Come join us in playing Marvel Bingo!](https://marvelbingo.tumblr.com/)


End file.
